Flanges in the ends of pipes or tubing have been used as a means of connection for a great many years. The prior art has several examples of equipment that was invented to aid in the creation of these flanges.
The "Flanging Device" of R. M. Bowman, U.S. Pat. No. 1,597,575, is an early example. This device was designed to enable the flanging of fire boxes for upright boilers. Another example of the early art is the "Cutting and Flanging Tool" of J. Zang U.S. Pat. No. 1,830,865.
Another related area of prior art is found in the can industry. Devices such as the "Can Straightener" of J. L. Rickhoff, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,612,204, and the "Spin-Flanger for Beverage Containers" of C. Ross Nichols, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,969, are examples of this art.
In the airline industry, as in many other businesses, one of the common items of maintenance is the need to repair flanges in pneumatic lines. Currently, this requires removal of the damaged line, transport of the line to the appropriate machine, and then replacement of the repaired line in the plane or other machine.
This mode of operation represents the chief disadvantage of the devices in the prior art, that is, that they are fixed in place. They are too bulky and cumbersome to be easily transported. If it were possible to repair the flange while the line is in place, it would save a great deal of time, and hence, money.